Characterisation of key Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predation proteins

细菌性捕食者--细菌性蛭弧菌是一种对其他细菌有用的、天然的专性杀手。有可能将蜈蚣弧菌(全细胞或分离的蛋白质产品)用于各种抗菌目的(医疗保健、农业、生物修复)。我们开始研究这种特殊的捕食者如何识别、进入和杀死它的猎物。这个项目将使用生物化学和结构生物学的方法来表征参与捕食的蛋白质。我们将首先研究三个不同的子项目--(I)一种被证明对捕食至关重要的新蛋白质，我们推测它参与了蛋白质折叠；(Ii)蜈蚣弧菌中存在的一种受体，它有助于杀戮效率，可能是通过引导捕食者以趋化的方式向猎物密度高的区域；以及(Iii)一系列新的相关蛋白质，在猎物入侵期间调节其他基因。

The bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a useful, natural obligate killer of other bacteria. The potential exists to use Bdellovibrio (whole cells, or protein products in isolation) for a variety of antimicrobial purposes (healthcare, agriculture, bioremediation). We are beginning to investigate the means by which this specialized predator recognizes, enters and kills its prey.This project will use biochemistry and structural biology approaches to characterize proteins involved in predation. We will start by investigating three distinct sub-projects - (i) a novel protein proven to be essential for predation, postulated by us to be involved in protein folding; (ii) a receptor present in Bdellovibrio that contributes to killing efficiency, presumably by directing predator in a chemotactic fashion toward areas of high prey density; and (iii) a novel family of related proteins that regulate other genes during invasion of prey.